Advanced Search
MyIDEAS: Login

Rethinking China.s Path of Industrialization

Contents:

Author Info

  • Wu, Harry X.
Registered author(s):

    Abstract

    This study shows that China.s post-1949 state-led industrialization has closely followed an underlying path that began in the late nineteenth century. It was initiated by pressing national defence needs and has since been motivated by the same and strong incentives for a faster catch-up with the West despite radical regime shifts. Government determined or influenced resource allocation benefited selected industries and hence nurtured vested interest groups connecting and integrating with the ruling elite, which have strengthened and sustained the path. This means that the path is inherently inefficient which is evidenced by a newly constructed dataset. Reform measures can only temporarily improve efficiency performance, but are unable to break the path in the absence of a genuine political democracy.

    Download Info

    If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
    File URL: http://www.wider.unu.edu/stc/repec/pdfs/wp2011/wp2011-076.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    Bibliographic Info

    Paper provided by World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER) in its series Working Papers with number UNU-WIDER Research Paper WP2011/76.

    as in new window
    Length: 35
    Date of creation: 2011
    Date of revision:
    Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2011-76

    Contact details of provider:
    Postal: Katajanokanlaituri 6B, 00160 Helsinki
    Phone: +358-9-6159911
    Fax: +358-9-61599333
    Email:
    Web page: http://www.wider.unu.edu/
    More information through EDIRC

    Related research

    Keywords: government engineered industrialization; path dependence; central planning; economic reform; efficiency;

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    References

    References listed on IDEAS
    Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
    as in new window
    1. Wang, Lili & Szirmai, Adam, 2012. "Capital inputs in the Chinese economy: Estimates for the total economy, industry and manufacturing," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 81-104.
    2. Syrquin, M. & Chenery, H.B., 1989. "Patterns Of Development, 1950 To 1983," World Bank - Discussion Papers 41, World Bank.
    3. Takatoshi Ito & Anne O. Krueger, 1995. "Introduction to "Growth Theories in Light of the East Asian Experience, NBER-EASE volume 4"," NBER Chapters, in: Growth Theories in Light of the East Asian Experience, NBER-EASE Volume 4, pages 1-6 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Takatoshi Ito & Anne O. Krueger, 1995. "Growth Theories in Light of the East Asian Experience, NBER-EASE Volume 4," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number ito_95-2, April.
    5. Carsten A. Holz, 2006. "CHINA's REFORM PERIOD ECONOMIC GROWTH: HOW RELIABLE ARE ANGUS MADDISON's ESTIMATES?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 52(1), pages 85-119, 03.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Lists

    This item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2011-76

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Bruck Tadesse).

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.

    If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.